Extreme swimmer Hess begins record attempt on the Danube

Joseph Heß, a long-distance swimmer from Dresden, plans to set out on a record-breaking mission on Friday. He intends to swim the length of the Danube from Ulm to its mouth at the Black Sea, his team announced. The approximately 2,850-kilometer journey is set to begin on Saturday in Donaueschingen with a symbolic jump into the water and a sip from the source. In Ulm, Heß will then enter the river.

The record attempt is also designed as an environmental project

The expedition is also an environmental project. Heß plans to collect water samples along the entire route according to scientific guidelines. A team led by microplastics expert Karin Schuhen from Karlsruhe will analyze the samples and use them to create a comprehensive microplastics map of the Danube. The results will be incorporated into a scientific evaluation and recommendations for action for policymakers and society.

The tour will be documented in a documentary film

Dresden-based filmmaker Markus Weinberg plans to accompany the tour in stages. He plans to use the footage to make a documentary titled “2850 km – Invisible.” Hess has already swum the length of the Elbe and the Rhine. According to his schedule, he plans to pass through Passau on July 11, Vienna on July 14, and Belgrade on August 2. He is expected to reach his destination on September 7.